Pressure plastic applicator



Nov. 3, 1942. R. G. AMES PRESSURE PLASTIC APPLICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed July 5, 1940 All i, L ,t

- INVENTOR. 32 Eo'zer 6,. MS.

' v AnogNEY.

' NW3, 1942. Y RGAMES *2500,398' y .v

' C REssURE PLA T1 y Patented Nov. 3, 1942 massime PLASTIC' Arruca'roa RobertG. Ames, Burlingame, Calif., assigner-of l one-half to George W.. Williams, Burlingamaf` Galli'.

Appunti@ .my s, 194e, sei-m No. 343,326

The present invention relates to improvements in a pressure plastic applicator, and it consists of the combinations, constructions and arrangements hereinafter described, and claimed.

Some wall boards are recessed at the joinings of adjacent boards and it is customary to fill the recess of the .ioint'with mastic. The recess or groove is partially filled with mastic and then a tape is pressed against the mastic surface and extends over the joint. Additional mastic is then applied over the tape and this not only lls the recess or groove. but extends beyond the-groove or recess sides and gradually merges into the wall board surface. A broadlmife is generally used for applying and smoothing the mastic surface. n 1

The principal'object of my invention is to provide a pressure plastic applicator that will automatically deliver a controlled volume of mastic to the desired place and will act as a surfacing tool for smoothing the surface of the mastic and cause it to merge gradually into the surfaceof the wall board., `The speed of application of vthe mastic can greatly be increased and the work can be more uniformly accomplished. The tool may be used to cover wall seams or joints whether they extend horizontally or vertically. An extension adapts the device to be used for ceiling work without the necessity of usinga ladder or scaiolding.

It is possible to control the depth of the mastic with the device and also the shape of the outer surface whether concave or conveif. The tool is jointed so that it will freely swing and conform to any surface irregularities in the wall board;

ing drawings, forming part of this application.v

in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the iiat wall tool, which is shown diagrammatically connected to a mastic retaining pressure tank;

Figure 2 a front elevation of the working face of tlrastooli v .eig'ure 3 a section taken -along the line 3--3 zof Figure 1;

Claims. (Cl. 'Z2-130) Figure 4 a section through two abutting pieces of Wall board, illustrating a recessed joint;

Figure 5 a horizontal section through a tool used for inside corner joints;

Figure 6 ,a vertical section of the tool taken along the line 6-6 of Figure 5; V- I Figure 7 a horizontal section throughA another tool used `for outside corner joints; and

Figure8 a vertical section of the same tool taken along the vline 8-8 of Figure '1.

n While I have shown only the preferred kforms of my invention, it should be understood that various changes or modiiications may be made within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a tool indicated generally at A in Figures l, 2 and 3 for iilling recessed joints in fiat surface wall board. The device comprises a tubular and rigid handle I provided with a valve 2 at o ne end controlled by a valve handle 3. A flexible h ose I extends from the valve to a mastic retaining pressure tank diagrammatically shown at B. The

tank is supported by rollers 5 anda removable pressure. The mastic 8 is forcecifrom the tank n through an outlet pipe 9 that communicates withv the hose l. i. f

cover permits the device to be filled with mastic.,kr

Air under the desired pressure maypbe forced into the top of the tank by any means, such as apump 6. A pressure gage ,l will indicate ythe 'lhetool head is removably securedy tothe handle I by means of a coupling sleeve Il). The head comprises a short pipe Ill closed at one end by a plug I 2. The other end is bent and screwed into the sleeve I0. When an extension ably mounted thereon. A ange Il on the pipe Y II preventsv longitudinal movement of the body I I in one direction and a washer or cap l5 bears against the other end of the body and is secured to the plug I2 by a screw I6. The body has a radially-extending passage I'I designed to register with an elongated opening II in the pipe Il (see Figure 3). The passage or bore lI may have its inner end enlarged into an arcuate chamber IIa that partially surrounds the pipe I I.

An applicator plate I8 is rigidly secured to k.a

` ilat side of the body I3 and the ends oi the plate may iiex slightly when pressure is applied thereto. The plate has an opening I9 registering with.

the bore I1. The side edges ofthe plate are bounded by side members 28 that are pivoted at 2I, see Figure 1, to arms 22, which in turn are carried by stub shafts 23. The latter are rotatably mounted in bearings 24. Figure 2 shows the bearings 24 disposed near the trailing edge 25 of the plate I8. A leaf spring 2B, see Figure 3, extends between the body I3 and the plate I8 and has its ends yieldingly engaging.` with the side members 20 for holding them in a position where lugs 21, integral with the members, will abut the rear face of the plate I8. The function of the spring 28 is to keep the members 20 against a wall board surface 28, see Figure l, and the floating pivots 2I permit the members to in yescasas cally accommodate the plate to any unevennese in the wall surface 28 adjacent to the opposite edges of the groove 34. The thickness of the layer 3l is determined by the difference in curvature between the plate and the groove 34, and this thickness can be altered by swinging the handle and l' plate in a plane at right angles to the wall surface and parallel to the length of the groove 84.

This will move the trailing leilge of the plate toward or away from the groove bottom. It is obvious that the plate could be connected to the handle by a universal joint, if desired. The tape 36 is-now applied to the mastic. -The lower layer the wall surface throughout their lengths. re

gardless of the angle made -between the plate I8 and the wall.

I provide means for limiting the convex ilexing of the plate I8 when the plate is forced against the wall. This means consists of two rigid and laterally-extending arms 29 that project from the member I3 and carry adjusting-screwsl 30 near their free ends.` The screws bear against the plate I8 near the sides thereof and may be adjusted for limiting the movement of the sides toward the `arms 28. In certain cases, the screws are adjustedforwardly for forming the plate I8 into a slight concave curve, The purpose of this will be hereinafter set forth.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Before describing the tools shown in Figures 5 to 8, inclusive, I will show the use of the tool illustrated in Figures 1,`2 and 3. In Figure 4 I show two sections of Wall board 3l and 32 that abut each other at 33. Each wall board section is recessed along its edge to provide a groovey 34 or recess coextensive with and bisected by the joint.

It is customary at present to fillv the lower portion of the groove 34 with mastic 35 by hand,

then apply a paper or cloth tape36, and then periodically keep adding mastic, to the groove as When using the tool for the same purpose of y applying the first layer of mastic 35 to the groove 34, the screws 38 are adjusted to permit the plate to flex into a convex arc when the plate is manually applied to the groove 34 and moved therealong under sufficient pressure to flex the blade. Air pressure has previously been applied to the tank B and then the opening ofthe valve 2 to the desired extent by depressing the handle 3 will permit the mastic under pressure to flow through the pipe 8, hose 4, valve 2, tubular handle, I, short pipe II, opening I Ia, passage I1, and out through the opening I9 in the plate I8. The thickness of the bottom layer of mastic 35 is controlled by the flexing of the plate I8, limited by the screws 38, and the amount of mastic delivered by the tool is con` trolled by the handle 3. The tool is grasped by the handle I and moved along the groove, the plate smoothing the surface of the mastic as fast as it is applied.

The plate and body member I3 are free to rock about the axis of the short pipe II to automatiof mastic is preferably allowed to harden one day before the top layer 31 of mastic is applied.

When applying the top layer, the screws 30 are adjusted to give the plate a slight concave curvature andv then the tool is moved along the groove for covering the tape and filling the groove with mastic. The top layer of mastic 31 will have a crown and its` sides will extend beyond the sides of the groove and will gradually taper in thickness to merge into the wall surface 28. The side members 2lil prevent the mastic from moving beyond the sides of the plate I8 and also aid vin determining the depth of the crown of -the top mastic layer. It will therefore be seen that 'the plate -I8will be slightly convex in shape when in Figures 5 and 6. 'If'he tool comprises a body 38 with: two surfaces 38 and 4I) that form an angle slightly larger than a right angle. A plate 4I covers the two sidesand it has a slot'42` that is Widest at the bend or corner in the plate and tapers down to vanacute angle at each end, the ends ofthe slot terminating close to the Voutside edges of the body 38.

The body 38 has a recess or outlet 43 or passageway that communicates with the plate slot 42 and the recess is provided with a spherical Aseat 44 for rockably receivingfa spherical head 45 formed on the end of the nozzle 46. The rear of the recess or passageway 43 is enlarged to form an outwardly-flaring conical wall41 that will permit the nozzle '46 to swing into various angular positions as shown by the broken line positions in Figure 5. A spring 48 removably holds the head 45 in the seat l44 and'permts the body 3'tc rock Vinto diierent angular positions ori the head.

Figure 5 shows two sections of wall board form.- ing an inside corner at 48. The tool C is placed in the position shown when applying mastic to the corner and in reality the mastic flowing from the slotl 42 will strike the wall board and act as a lubricant for the tool for spacing it slightly from the wall board so that it may be readily moved along the corner without actually coming into contact with the'board. This is the reason 'why the ends of the slot 42 extend substantiallyl to the side corners ofthe body 38.

Itis possible to remove the nozzle 46 vfrom the tool C and use the spherical head 45 as a separate tool for particular kinds of work. This arrangementalso permits the head 45 to be removably secured to another tool, indicatedgenerally at D, and designed for applying mastic to an outa, a a

t ai.

-the nozzle 45 to swing into side corner. tool C.

The tool D comprises a body portion 50 having a spherical seat I for removably receiving the head 45 of the nozzle 48. A passage 52 for mastic leads from the seat 5I to two surfaces'53 and 54 that extend substantially at right angles to each other and form an inside corner. i A plate 55 'Ie'he tool D is quite similar to the bent at an angle slightly less than a right angleY covers the surfaces 53 and 54 and has its side edges bent and secured to opposite sides of the body 50. The plate has a slot 58 widest at the inside comer of the plate and tapering to a. point adjacent to each side of the plate. The slot 58 communicates with the passage '52. VA spring 51 similar to the spring 48 removably' and rotatably secures the head 45 in the seat 5I. The body 50 has an outwardly-flared conical opening 58 ex' tending rearwardly from the seat for permitting various angular posi-A tions. Y

The tool D is used in much the same manner for applying mastic to an outside corner as thev tool C is used for an inside corner. first movedalong the corner 5! for applying the first layer of mastic. A piece lof tape similar to the sides into a right angle vand -then the. tape is applied to the layer of mastic. The toolis moved over the tape to press 4it against the mastic and Finally. the tool is moved over The tool is,

the tape is rst folded alonglts center to form 30 Aduring this movement no additional mastic issues from *theV tool.

the tape and this time a layer of mastic is ap` plied over the tape. This completes the process.

The same process is followed for the inside corner.: 'I'hereare three main types of wall board joints which the device is adapted to cover withmastic.

The common nat Joint is one .that generally occurs between the boundaries of ajwall or ceiling. The other two types are inside and outside corner Joints. The tool can apply mastic to a.'` wall inV which the two surfaces of adjacent wall board lie ush with eachother and are not provided with the groove. Any crackin the Joint `ris nlled4 by the lower layer of mastic. The tool.k in,

plying the second layer, both illls the joint and smooths off the surface l.of the second layer in" much faster ratethan when done without: the tool. 'f Iclaim: 'e

1. A pressure plastic applicator comprising a in and a trailing edge, controllable means for deone operation and` this can be accomplished at a 2'. A pressure plastic applicator comprising a handle, a flexible plate for applying the plastic and being connected to the handle, said.platev having an outlet opening therein, controllableA means for delivering plastic under pressure to the opening, adjustable means connected to the handle for exing the plate into a concave arc, said means being adjustable for Hunting the flex` ing of the plate to form a convex. arc whenV the plate is partially'forced into a groove in awall surface.

3. A pressure applicator comprising a handle, `1an applicator carried by the handle and having an outlet opening and a trailing edgefmeans for feeding a desired quantity of plastic to the open-y ing under pressure, side members plvotally carried by the applicator and bearing against the surface receiving the plastic for limiting the spread of the plastic beyond the sides of the applicator, and springmeans for continually urging the members against the, surface receiving applied to the surface.

handle, a pressure plasticy-j applicator movably carried by the handle andv being swingable into various angular positions withv respect thereto and having a trowel-like semi-flexible member with its mid-portion connected to the handle and n l 'its end portions free to flex, said member having an outlet orice therein, means -for feeding a plastic material to the orifice for discharging it.

onto a surface over which the member is moved,

said member being free to' flex slightly into a convex shape when the member is moved over a grooved surface and sufdcient pressure exerted to Vmove the member slightly intothe groove, and

adjustable means for limiting the flexing of the member into a convex shape.

"-5. A device of the type described comprising a handle, a pressure` plastic applicator movably carried by the handle and being swingableinto various angular positions with respect thereto and' having a trowel-like semi-exible member with its mid-portion connected to the handle and its end portions free to flex, said'member having handle, an applicator swiveiled to thehandle and having a flat surface with an outlet orifice there-J livering a plastic under pressure to the ori1c e1 said trailing edge determining the thicknessoffV l the plastic layer, and adjustable side members! pivoted at the sides of the' applicator and adjacent to the trailing edge for continuously -contacting with the wall forv confining the plastic within the sides of the surface while permitting a various angular positions with respect to the wall over which the applicator is moved.

' the applicator to have its at surface/swung into an outlet orice therein, means for feeding a I plastic material to the orice for discharging it` onto a surface over which the member is moved, said member being free to flex slightly into a convex shape when the member is moved over a grooved surface and suiiicient lpressure exerted to move the member slightly into' the groove, and adjustable means for hunting the flexing of the member into a convex shape, said adjustable means being manipulatable for forming the member into va concave shape for causing thel plastic material to be formed with afslight crown effect.

ajosna'r G. AMES;

4. A device of the type described comprising a 

